Answer:
Lara started with the number 15.
Step-by-step explanation:
In order to solve this problem, you can write an equation representing the situation. You can do this by applying the described actions to a variable; I'll use n for this:
(n ÷ 2 + 6) ÷ 3 = 4.5
Now, you can just solve this equation for n:
(n ÷ 2 + 6) ÷ 3 = 4.5 (given)
n ÷ 2 + 6 = 13.5 (multiply both sides by 3)
n ÷ 2 = 7.5 (subtract 6 from both sides)
n = 15 (multiply both sides by 2)
So, now you know that Lara's starting number was 15.
